Orzammar Royal Palace (Exploration, I)

A: The life of a Dwarven noble isn't exactly a hard one. If you saw (or read about) the Dwarven commoner origin story, then you'll realize just how much better these guys' lives are than their less fortunate brethren. Your character is in line for incredible power in Dwarven polity, and with your first military commission coming down the pipe, there's reason to celebrate. When you gain control of your character during the early stages of this origin story, you'll find that there is a feast in your honor that evening. But first, you'll have time to explore the royal palace that you call home. So, let's do just that (you'll first need to navigate the opening conversation tree, of course). Be sure to explore the room for codex entries and items before heading out.

B: This location will provide you with a door which is locked. The door would lead into a location in the palace called Trian's Room, but for the time being, you can't head on through. That's okay, though -- just be sure to scour the hallways of the palace for codex entries and other items to add to your inventory as you move around. As for the location itself, you may have to return later, so keep it in mind.

C: An interesting encounter will happen when you try to enter this room, one that will be even more interesting for those gamers familiar with the Commoner Dwarven origin story. When you go to enter this room, you'll see a red-headed female Dwarf run out of the room, and then dash back in. Head after her and speak with her. You won't get her name just yet (though it's Rica, if you played the other aforementioned origin story), and she is the mistress of your character's brother. Rica is, in fact, a commoner herself, though you won't learn that in-game just yet. She'll take her leave of you when you give her permission to do so. Be sure to search your character's brother's room before you head out, since there are plenty of items and codex entries to be found.

D: At this point, your companion will intercept you and ask you if you're certain you want to enter your feast without first having headed out of the palace and to the Proving Grounds. Again, the Proving Grounds should be familiar to those who have played through the Commoner Dwarf origin story, but if you're not, it is essentially an arena where combatants fight to the death. You're more than welcome to head over there if you want, but we opted not to. We'll get there soon enough. If you do decide to head over to the Proving Ground, keep in mind that our walkthrough won't be completely accurate from here on out.